Gambler 500 Returns to Madras for 3-Day Public Land Cleanup After Hauling 240,000 Pounds
Updated
Updated · Central Oregon Daily · Jun 26
Gambler 500 Returns to Madras for 3-Day Public Land Cleanup After Hauling 240,000 Pounds
3 articles · Updated · Central Oregon Daily · Jun 26
Summary
Hundreds of Gambler 500 participants arrived in Madras on Thursday for a public-land cleanup that runs Friday through Sunday across the Jefferson County grasslands.
The event pairs cheap, modified "weird cars" with a navigational challenge, but organizers say its focus shifted years ago from racing to collecting as much trash as possible.
Jefferson County's 2025 event removed about 240,000 pounds of trash, with organizers citing dumping by residents and businesses, along with impacts tied to houselessness, as key reasons for this year's effort.
Sons of Smokey, the group's app and website, lets people flag trash sites so future Gambler 500 crews and government agencies can target cleanups on public lands.